Based in Frederick, Maryland, Digital Ink & Parchment is a blog by Alexandria Pallat. Her posts explore the integration of faith in every day life.

May 1 Finding Your Why

I started college as a Biology major, but within one semester I had added English as a second major. When this was revealed in conversation with other biology students, the first question was “why?”, accompanied by a disgusted look. My only response was “because I enjoy it,” but that never seemed to be enough for anyone. It wasn’t until this season in my life that I realized I don’t owe anyone but myself an explanation.

While you may not owe anyone else an explanation of your decisions, it is important for you to know your why.

Your why is what makes you eager to do your work. Your why is what makes you enjoy your work. Your why is what makes your work worth it, even through the long hours. Your why is the fire that lights you up.

God put a dream in my heart, and I’ve been struggling to make it happen. Not because I don’t want to, but because I do want to. I’m impatient. I have a fire in my heart. But truth be told, I’m still working on my “why.” Right now, my “why” is to provide the best life I can for my fur babies and so I can have freedom from debt. More than that, though, I know I want to give back and make a difference.

So, if you’re not sure, how do you find your why?

Write down what you’re passionate about

Writing things down gives you a visual of where your heart is. As you start writing, things will become clearer.

Pay attention to what gets you fired up

What gets your heart racing? What gets you excited? What has you thinking “Yes! I’m going to do that!”? Those are the things to go after.

Pray

Ask God for guidance. He will show you your “why.”

Think about who you are and who you want to be

Pretty straight forward. Does your dream line up with the type of person you want to be?

Read

Seriously. Check out some books on finding your why. I have found those to be the most helpful. Be sure to sign up for the Digital Community Newsletter to see some of my favorite personal development books and how they have helped me in difficult seasons and in narrowing my focus.

Finding your why isn’t always easy. It’s a journey, and it may even change over time. And that’s okay. That’s part of our evolution. But it’s better to find it sooner rather than later.